Deeper Into the Story
by MaryandMerlin
Summary: A closer look into the lives of Maria and Robin and a look at Robins POV also somethings that the movie missed which I think it should have had :D M/R


**A/N: **Hello! A good time to introduce myself me thinks, Okay so I've become re-obsessed with Maria/Robin and couldn't resist trying it for myself so I hope you enjoy it and please let me know with a review!

**Disclaimer: **Robin is mine!

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Chapter 1 - First Impressions

It was a cold dark day despite it being the middle of summer and a small funeral procession was making it's way through one of the small cemetery's in London. The priest leading the way, clutching his bible followed by a glass carriage containing a coffin. A long side which walked a girl, Maria Merryweather, wearing an elaborate black dress, her red hair was tied up revealing the pale skin of her neck as her head bowed, clearly family of the deceased. She clutched two crimson Roses, listening to the priest go on and on about accepting her father into his kingdom and throwing one into the hole that was soon to close over her father when she was meant to and placing the other gently on a grave beside it.

This was all observed by a rather strange looking boy, who was leaning casually against a white pillar not far away, eyes glued to the girl. He wore black entirely, feathers protruded from his collar of a leather jacket which was adorned with buckles and metal and a knife was slung at his hip, a black strip of cloth covered his face and a bowler hat sat up on his dark curls. Had it been any other circumstance she may have thought him handsome.

As it was, she looked away for a moment, and when she looked back. He was gone. Knowing he was not a figment of her imagination she cocked her head slightly wondering who on earth he had been and why he had gone so quickly. All that was to be forgotten now, strange boys were not her concern.

She had no where to live, no money, no anything. Only her guardian and tutor Miss Heliotrope. Yes that was definitely something she should be worrying about.

X

At that moment, Robin De Noir was hidden in the shadows of the pavilion he had been leaning against, watching the girl look for him after he had disappeared. That was her for sure, the daughter of a Merryweather, even in thought the name was said with Venom.

Robin was angry, the job was not as easy as his father had said it would be, it would be nigh on impossible to snatch the girl away now, surrounded by people as she was and he certainly wasn't going to risk being caught by these 'Police'. No he was going to have to wait for the right time to strike and unfortunately now wasn't it.

He watched her as she walked away, a fleeting thought passed through his mind that really, for a Merryweather, she was rather pretty. But he brushed it away almost immediately, she was his mortal enemy after all, what was he doing going and thinking things like that.

Signalling his men they joined him as she left the grave yard and they turned walking down the large path to wait for the girl to leave her home and make her way too moonacre. They would strike before she reached those cursed gates.

Yes, he thought as they walked in a V with him at the head, all would go to plan. He would win his father's approval if it was the last damned thing he did.

X

Maria didn't like it in the lawyers office, it just reminded her more and more of how her father was dead and how she was alone now. She could feel the tears stinging her eyes but bit them back not wanting to cry in front of the strange man. The room was completely made up of wood, so much so that she felt trapped the only other material being the paper of the books and a few bits of metal. She was sat next to Miss Heliotrope listening as her fate was sealed.

"This being the last will and testament of Colonel George Herbert Merryweather of London." he finished looking up at them over the rim of his glasses.

"Er…h-h-he…lost it all?" Miss Heliotrope asked in alarm and disbelief, the lawyer nodded sadly "Including the house?" her voice was becoming almost breathless with worry. Maria glanced between the two eyes filled with tears that dripped onto her black mourning gown.

"No! No, Papa can't have been in London." she cried "Why, he wrote to me and said that he was coming home. He wouldn't arrive and not…" tears over took her once more as her voice broke, she squeezed them shut trying to force the water back into her eyes.

"Ah well, your father did leave you this book…" the lawyer pulled a big book out from behind the table and blew the dust off the cover handing it over to Miss Heliotrope who then passed it to her "…as your inheritance"

"The Ancient Chronicles of Moonacre Valley" she read off the cover where it was embossed in gold, surrounded by designs imprinted on the thick brown leather sealed with a gold clasp.

Later that night she was sitting in her room with Miss Heliotrope, who was trying her best to comfort her but really it was only making things worse. "I know this is hard" she was saying softly "but, you know, I'm sure that your father did…did love you. He…he just…erm And, and you know, everybody does have to go out on their own at some point in their, lives and…" she babbled and Maria snapped.

"Miss Heliotrope, I'm fine! Really." she burst out and an uncomfortable silence hung over them.

"Yes" Miss Heliotrope agreed, humming before gently patting Maria's hand and leaving. Once she was gone Maria brushed away a stray tear before leaning over to pick up the book her father had left her, deciding to read it before bed.

"_Once upon a perfect time, many hundreds of years ago, when the old magic came to Moonacre Valley…there was a young woman whose skin gleamed as pale as a star, and whose heart was as pure as moonlight. Such was her bravery and goodness, she was beloved by nature as if she were it's own daughter. One fateful night the moon blessed her, with an extraordinary gift that would change the magic of the valley forever. The Moon Pearls. From that day forth, she was known as the Moon Princess._

_Two ancient families lived in harmony at the edge of the valley, sharing natures bounty. Daughter of the De Noir clan, the Moon Princess fell deeply in love and was to be married to Sir Rolf Merryweather. Her father, Sir William De Noir, blessed the union by presenting the couple with a rare black lion._

'_For my daughter's bridegroom…' he said gesturing to where a great black lion emerged._

'_Thank you, father.'_

_In turn, Sir Rolf gave his bride a unicorn, lured from the wild white horses of the sea._

'_Only an animal of such beauty and purity could be the companion of a moon princess.'_

_Her heart overflowing with happiness, the Moon Princess revealed the magical pearls to both families._

'_Nurtured fathoms deep in the heart of the Ocean. These pearls were given to us by Mother Nature herself, promising untold riches to us all. Look they have a unique power they can reveal the truth in men's hearts.'_

_Legend told of their unique power, so strong the pearls would grant every wish, both good and evil."_

Maria quickly snapped the book shut, looking shocked. Unable to read more she put it down and moved away to get ready for bed, before switching off her light and curling up under the cover falling into a blissfully dreamless sleep. However what confused her most was that the last thing on her mind before she fell asleep, was the strange boy from the funeral and how unable she was to forget how handsome she had thought him.

X

Robin was perched precariously outside her window looking in through the gap in the curtains, luckily her window was at the back so no one would see. He watched as she cried alone at first for the loss of her father before being joined by her tutor although she clearly wanted to be left alone. Then watched as she read the book that he had been brought up on, the tales of the first moon princess and the curse that would pay back those awful Merryweather's, he just needed to snatch the girl.

Finally she went to sleep and he waited standing slightly to stretch his aching legs, when he was sure she would not wake he slipped his fingers under the window and prised it open slowly and carefully glad that it seemed free of anything to make it grind loudly.

He stepped inside the room carefully leaving the window open in case he needed to make a speedy retreat, it was not a great distance from the ground and he'd certainly fallen from higher trees.

The girl was 16, a year younger than himself, he watched for a moment as she slept the tear tracks glistened in the moonlight on her pale cheeks. She looked calm and for the first time since he'd seen her she looked peaceful and, although he tried to banish the thought, beautiful.

He wandered over to her bedside, studiously ignoring her, her room was practically empty all her things packed up and ready to be carted off to Moonacre the next morning but she still had the book, it was something he'd never seen up close and contrary to popular belief he could actually read.

Curious he picked up the book and seated himself carefully on the floor beside her bed opening it on his knee and carefully reading the ink pages tracing them with his finger, it had been a long time but he still remembered the story word for word.

"No! No! Papa no!" Maria cried out suddenly causing Robin to jump the book slid off his lap as he watched the girl thrash in her bed, pain twisting her face as she dealt with the nightmare. He had to do something to stop that nosy tutor coming up and so he did something that he had never imagined he would ever do to a Merryweather.

He comforted her.

Remembering what his mother had done for him when he was young he gathered her against his chest, still asleep and hushed her gently shocking himself at his tenderness with the girl. Once she was quiet he dropped her like she had burnt him and fled from her room, he would capture her tomorrow.

For now he had to deal with his own traitorous feelings.


End file.
